Wedding Frequently Asked Questions
What is your photography style?
I am a documentary-style wedding photographer, which means that I act as a "fly-on-the wall' to capture genuine moments as they naturally unfold. My style is to be observant of what's going on during the wedding day and to follow events as they happen to get candid shots. I place myself based on good lighting (or use a flash) and where activity is happening-unless otherwise directed by the bride/groom.
I don't spend an excessive amount of time orchestrating or setting up scenes as this can take people away from guests, families, or wedding activities. The exception to this is that I do pose family photos, couple photos, and detail shots where there is good lighting and minimum background distractions.
When I edit the photos, I keep the coloring very true to life with subtle adjustments so they're timeless.
I don't create content videos for social media or film Behind the Scenes videos during the wedding day. I keep my phone away unless I'm looking at the timeline or notes/reminders I have written down.
What protections are in place for our photos?
All of my cameras have dual card slots. This means that every photograph is captured on two, separate memory cards. This is done so that in the unlikely event that one card fails or there is physical damage to the camera during the wedding, the photos are saved twice and more protected.
As soon as I get home from the wedding, I download all of the photos from the memory cards onto my computer. The photos are then immediately saved on my Cloud. While I'm editing your wedding gallery, photos stay on my computer, the cloud, and my camera memory cards. After the photos are uploaded onto my website and delivered to you, I move the digital files to my external hard drive and store them there. At this point, the files are on both my external hard drive and online on my website. Couples should download their entire high resolution gallery as soon as it is received so they can store the files themselves. My contract states that I keep the files for at least one year after your wedding date because I cannot guarantee that I will provide indefinite storage of the wedding album.
Are any prints or albums included?
I deliver photos as a digital download. No prints or albums are included. Typically, photographers charge anywhere from $800-$2,000 per printed wedding album (depending on the material, number of pages and photos, etc). In order to keep my prices where they are, I don't include prints. When I print for personal use, I like to print photos and books through mpix.com and blurb.com.
What is the process to book with you?
1. Reach out through the 'Contact & Availability' link on my website to see if I am available on your wedding date.
2. Then I will email you my wedding questionnaire to gather more specific information about your wedding.
3. After you have secured the date with your venue, we can meet for coffee or schedule a phone call to go over any questions you have, my contract, and what you envision for your wedding day.
4. I email you my contract to go over with your fiancé. To secure the date, I require 1/3, or 33%, of the invoice to be paid. If I have multiple inquiries for the same date, the first couple to reach out will have priority. If they don't sign a contract and pay the initial deposit, the date remains open and will go to the next couple. The wedding invoice needs to be paid in full one week before the wedding.
What type of editing do you do on the photos?
In order to get your wedding gallery to you within 30 days, I provide basic editing, or "Photo Developing" for your photos. This is the process that adjusts the exposure, contrast, coloration, and crop of the image. I deliver this on all of the useable photos from your day. I delete duplicates, photos with someone blinking, and out of focus photos. I deliver all other photos, which is on average 50-100 photos per hour of coverage. I have a true-to-life editing style that involves subtle adjustments and balanced lighting so the photos will have a timeless look in years to come.
Fundamentally altering the photograph, such as switching family members around, removing wrinkles from every dress, or making people slimmer, is not included in the editing that I do on the images. This slows down my editing process and extends the time it takes for me to get the wedding gallery delivered to you.
What's the difference between 6 hours and 8 hours of photography?
6 hours
$2,700
-A few getting ready photos. I will likely arrive 30 minutes- 1 hour before the ceremony and get a few photos of you putting on your dress and other last-minute getting ready shots.
-I will get the main events of the wedding, such as speeches, first dances, and cake cutting.
-I will probably leave when open dancing begins during the reception, so those party and dancing photos won't be photographed.
8 hours
$3,500
-More getting-ready photos, such as pinning the boutonnieres, detail shots of the venue, gown portraits, and early first looks.
-The main events during the reception will also be photographed.
-I'll be able to capture more candids, party photos during the reception, sunset couple portraits, and possibly your grand exit by photographing later into the evening.
This is typically how long it takes to photograph these parts of the wedding day:
Bridal Getting Ready Photos
These are done when hair and make-up are finishing up. If you also want photos of the groom getting ready, additional time will be needed.
Detail Shots
These are done before the ceremony.
The "Flat Lay" / Invitations & Rings: 20+ minutes
Bouquets and Rings: 5+ minutes
Wedding and Bridesmaids Dresses on hangers: 10+ minutes
Ceremony and Reception details: 15+ minutes
Pinning the boutonnieres: 10+ minutes
Couple Photos
These can be done before the ceremony if the first look is done early, during cocktail hour, or at sunset.
Bridal Party Photos
These can be done before the ceremony or during cocktail hour.
Family Photos
Each combination will take 2-3 minutes to set up but could take longer if someone has mobility issues or wandered off.
Reception
This includes the grand entrance, first dances, speeches, dinner, bouquet toss, cake cutting, open dancing, and the grand exit/send off.
